


That's me in the spotlight (losing my religion)

by muertxdeamor



Series: How to hang a witch [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 12:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17867186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muertxdeamor/pseuds/muertxdeamor
Summary: People expect to meet Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter. They don't really expect Desdemona.Or, one-shots based on the fic I'll write someday.





	That's me in the spotlight (losing my religion)

Pansy is painting her nails in front of the fireplace when she hears Draco coming inside the common room.

"Finally!" she exclaims, not looking up from the thumb. "I have been waiting for you. Come and help me with my right hand..."

"That can wait. Pansy, I want you to meet my cousin Desdemona Lestrange."

 _That_ is what makes Pansy look at her friend. There's a girl standing next to Draco. She looks only two or three years older than them and Pansy dislikes her instantly for the mere reason that the girl looks like Pansy's parents' expectations.

"Pansy Parkinson. It's a pleasure," she lies.

Desdemona's face is unbearably merry and charming when she smiles at Pansy and sits with Draco in a nearby couch. Both cousins start talking -well, Draco starts talking really quickly about their family while Desdemona listens- and Pansy watches them in silence. She has known that Draco has a cousin for years, but once again, everybody in the pureblood society knows about Bellatrix's daughter and how the Ministry basically took her away. Although if Pansy has to be honest, she has the feeling that nobody fought too hard to stop them.

Pansy looks for a second at the portrait of Slytherin's Promotion of '69 that hangs near the fireplace, at a young Bellatrix, and then at Desdemona. They don't look that much alike, she notes. Sure, both have curly hair and dark eyes but that's where the similarities end. Desdemona... Pansy must admit that Desdemona kinda looks like Draco, even if her hair is more gold than platinum. And, well, Desdemona doesn't look one eyeblink away from poking somebody's eye out with her wand, unlike Draco's aunt.

"Wait here," she hears Draco saying. "I think mother made our elves pack it."

"What are you looking for?" Pansy asks.

"My chess set!" 

Draco, in his excitement, almost runs over a third-year. The boy sighs and waves his hand at Desdemona before leaving the common room.

"What's even that special about a chess set?" Pansy asks, mostly to herself.

"I still don't know how to play. With the magical one, I mean." 

Oh. Pansy had forgotten. Sure, pureblood but muggle raised. She can't help but wrinkle her nose at the thought. Merlin, what a waste of talent.

"I was raised by muggles, you see, although a witch adopted me four years ago," Desdemona offhandedly states. "A Lestrange witch, actually. Everything stays in the family." 

Pansy's current flustered state keeps her from trying to remember the Lestrange family tree. Rodolphus and Rabastan are considered the last ones, although she remembers that the French branch of the family hasn't quite died out yet. All in all, Pansy has no idea what witch Desdemona is talking about and is currently quite busy trying to hide her blush. She forces herself to remember that it isn't some random Slytherin she is talking to, but Draco's older (and only!) cousin.

"Was I that obvious?"

"No, not really, but I could write a book about the things people have asked me over and over again for three years." Desdemona shrugs before suddenly standing up and going to sit next to Pansy. "Please, let me help. You are making quite a mess here." 

She grabs the nail polish and starts painting the nails on Pansy's right hand a pretty shade of green. Pansy becomes aware of two things. One, Desdemona actually has freckles, like Draco during the summer. Two, suddenly she can't form any words. Is her hand sweating? Fuck.

Once again, neither Pansy's mother or Narcissa quite managed to teach her the art of subtlety.

"You look like a smart girl, Pansy," Desdemona states, as a matter of fact. "Tell me, is there any interesting first-year I might want to meet?" 

Desdemona looks up from the nails and gives Pansy the prettiest and most wicked smile the girl has ever seen. Pansy tells her about the Patil twins, about Longbottom, about Blaise and Theo and Millie and Daphne Greengrass and the Carrow sisters. About Susan Bones, and Harry bloody Potter who won't shake Draco's hand. She tells her everything. 

That night, at dinner, Pansy finds Desdemona surrounded by a bunch of anxious-looking first-years. Most are Slytherin, although kids from other Houses such as Padma Patil and Susan Bones don't shy away from the little crowd. Desdemona's smile looks hypnotic, rather than charismatic, while she tells them about Hogwarts and the classes and asks them innocuous questions about themselves. The first-years all try to talk over each other, not-so-subtly pushing with their elbows in order to get closer. McGonagall has to intervene to dissolve the group, Dumbledore looks worried for some reason and Desdemona...

"Come on, Prof, I was just telling them about my experience at the school," she says. Her eyes shine playfully when the teacher scolds her and makes her sit on the bench instead of on the table. Desdemona rolls her eyes. "Fiine," she pouts, sitting next to a ginger girl. 

Pansy is just a bit disappointed that she hasn't had the chance to join the crowd before McGonagall made it disappear. From the other side of the table, Desdemona catches her attention waving her hand and then winking. Pansy blushes and focuses on the food.

**Author's Note:**

> Also called "Pansy has a crush and Desdemona isn't trying to corrupt the first-years. Really, she isn't."


End file.
